Once Again
by Miss Mag
Summary: It had been a mistake. He thought he would have known better.


Disclaimer: I do own a dog… but alas… I do not own Inuyasha

It had been a mistake. He thought he would have known better. He did not see the out come of what he did coming to this. The enemy knew. They could see the way things had changed and there was no going back now. He had to do something.

She wouldn't understand.

He watched her sleeping. It would be the hardest thing he ever would do. Nothing would change his mind. Her life depended on what he was going to do. Once day broke, he was going to tell her. He dreaded it and for the first time in his life, he prayed morning would never come.

She just slept on unaware of all the things falling down all around her. There was a good chance that she would never forgive him. He would not blame her. It was not her fault and yet she was the one being punished. That is how she would take it, as punishment. He wished things could have been different.

Once the first rays of light broke above horizon, he sat and watched his time drift away.

She finally came to. He asked her a question.

"Do you remember when I said I would always protect you?"

She smiled, and his heart broke.

"Yeah, silly." She rose and walked toward him. The sheet wrapped around her did nothing for modesty.

He sat quietly as she crawled into his lap and wrapped her long arms around his neck. Her warm breath on his neck made him regret everything all that much more.

An hour later, they started off to what she believed a normal day. She knew something was wrong with him. She kept asking and he brushed it off. Of course she knew his moods. She would probably figure it out before he told her. She was a smart girl.

The demons had started attacking them shortly after they knew of the relationship between him and the miko. Then suddenly, most attacks were directed at her. Over and over, she was nearly killed. He only blamed himself. That was a month ago, when the realization finally sunk in.

Then, once again, something happened he didn't expect.

Kagome was the most beautiful thing he knew. Nothing compared to her. He could not explain her to anyone that fully explained his view of her. She was as close to perfect as anything. He was lucky she gave him a second look. Hell, he had tried to kill her first thing. She was the pure, and he was as clear as mud and yet she loved him and was not afraid to show anyone. She was fearless. Her tears could move mountains and break down the walls of his soul.

Once they reached Keade's village, he began to panic.

Once everyone else had left them alone, he took her hand. He was about to tell her.

"What is the problem with you?" she kept asking. She had no idea what he was going to do.

He led her off into the woods. She followed obediently, because she trusted him. It made him sick to his stomach. Her eyes started to hold question in them once she realized they were heading toward the well.

"Inuyasha?" Damn. She was putting it together.

He stopped. This was it.

"Kagome, things have changed. We made a mistake. I made a mistake. Look at what we have started. The demons know Kagome, they know about us. They will come for you every time now trying to hurt me. You will become an innocent by stander and I will not let that happen. No matter what, I told you I would always protect you."

He watched the questioning turn to realization in a slow trickle across her features. That changed to anger in an instant. He prepared for it.

"So that's it then? That's what you do? You throw me away like I am nothing?"

He shook his head.

"Please, damn it, you know I do not want this but this is how it has to be!"

"No! I will not let you do this!"

Her hand tried to pull from his but his grip was much too strong.

"Let go of me!"

He started to pull her toward the well. He knew it would become this and he begged his heart to stop. His mind though told him different. He could see her laying there dead and the demons mocking him.

"Sit!"

His face hit the earth, and his hand still held her hand. She did not fall but she was bent at an awkward angle.

"Let me go!" she was frantic by now.

He tried to block out the pain in is heart.

"Sit! Sit! Sit!" Again and again she yelled and he felt the weight time and time again. He would not let go. She began to cry as he finally stood up. He pulled her close to the well. He could see it now.

"No! No! No!" Her voice rose higher and higher.

He only pushed forward. He had to for her sake and his. She would not die because of him. He had lived knowing Kikyo died because of him, but he could not knowing Kagome also suffered because of him. She would understand eventually.

"I thought you loved me." Her broken voice said.

His heart finally broke.

"You will be safe. I will make sure of it."

"You don't do you? I was just something that you could use for your own pleasure!"

"You know that is not true, Kagome." He whispered. He wished things could have been different. He wished she knew so she could understand.

They almost neared the well.

"Sit! Damn it, sit!" She screamed. He went down and so did she this time. Landing on her backside next to him only caused more tears.

Once again he was able to move. She on the other hand did not. He begged her to get up. She only told him no and sat him many more times.

Finally she gave up. Now she only cried and he thought about stopping and letting her stay. But then again, he knew it would only become worse.

"Kagome please, you have to understand."

"Understand what? That the person I love most in the world is throwing me away never to see me again because a couple of ignorant demons ruined it for me? Understand that once I go down the well it's going to be closed by you by some means? Understand that there is nothing I can say or do that will make you love me?"

There was nothing he could say now. She was not going to understand.

"It is for your own good."

"That's what you keep saying."

He stood and pulled her to him. She tried to fight him off, but he would not let go. He could not waste these last few moments. He breathed her scent in. All of his senses were surrounded in her and only her in this moment. She finally stopped fighting him and just stood and let him hold her. Dear god, he never wanted it to come to this.

"Please understand. I hope that you will one day. Someday soon you will know."

She only stood and cried. She began to hold him too, in desperation. A silent plea. She knew there was no way she could out run him. She would not be able to fight. Even if she sat him over and over, he would soon be up again right after her. It was a pointless and up hill battle.

He began to release her and he was surprised she stood before him. She only stared at him. Her eyes were red and void of any emotion. She knew it was pointless. She had given up. He hated to see her like this. Never would he do this to her on purpose.

Only Keade knew of his plan.

She slowly walked toward the well and began to cry once again. The memories of the last few months flew across her mind. Just this morning things were perfect in her mind. She tore the jewel shards from around her neck and turned and threw them at him. He felt their connection breaking. Then suddenly she came at him and for an instant he thought she was going to attack him, and he welcomed it. Instead, a snap rand in his ears and a weight fell from his shoulders. The beads from the rosary fell to the ground.

Fear took hold of him. Now that the rosary was gone, could he even still go to the other side?

There was a moment when he reached out as she made her way to the well's edge. She was leaving herself. That was not something he expected.

Time slowed as she turned one last time. He would always remember that look she gave, that seared him to his soul. Was this really it? Was he never going to see her again? He prayed for the strength he needed as she slung over the top and paused before telling him that she loved him, and that she always would no matter how hard he pushed her away. Her broken heart made it easy to drop into the well's darkness.

Once she was gone, Inuyasha stood and let the emotion's he held in for so long. He would go for her, eventually. It was to dangerous now. She would find his reasoning's more understandable soon. She had no idea why the demons had suddenly targeted her. She had no idea what they had caused. He knew though, almost the moment it had happened. He had never been so happy in all his life. Now he had lost the most important part.

He placed the peace of paper that Keade blessed onto the well. All the power the well had seemed to dissipate. It was over.

Yes, someday he would go for her. He prayed they she would run toward him and forgive him for what he had done. Then, he would watch as his son or daughter saw him for the first time.

A/N: I believe that if Naraku did know that Inuyasha and Kagome's relationship had gone to that next level, he would target her. If Inuyasha knew that Kagome would be in that kind of trouble he would try to seal her in her time like he did before. Read and Review please…. I would love to know what you thought about it!


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